Machine for making and attaching wire basket handles or the like



Nov. 16, 1937. A, HSCHMIDTKE f 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1936 16 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 16, 1937. H; H mT 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1936 1e Sheets-Shet 2 X15 al a J.? I ;;r. F T V Nov. 16, 1937. scHMlDTKE 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTAC'iING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1936 16 Sheets-Sheet 3 N g & w \m Q \Q A. H. SCHMIDTKE Nay. 16, 1937.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 11, 1936 I Uh I'HIIII W M I Nav. .16, 1937. A. H. SCHMIDTKE MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1956 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 16, 1937. SICHMIDTKE 7 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1936 16 Sheets-Sheet. 6 1% 276 if 7 Z65 6 Z 41 1 I TX A 6y 1 ll E W7 Z257 1 .177 f I o O v 1/47 v z7 {5 53 50 3 4 134W- 1937- A. H. SCHMIDTKE MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1.936

16 Sheeis-Sheet' 7 A. H. SCHMIDTKE l6 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed April 11,1956

NOV. 16, 1937. A scHMlDTKE 7 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1936 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 NOV. 16, 1937. SCHMIDTKE' 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1956 16 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 16, 1937. A. H. SCHMIDTKE 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING ANb AT-TACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE I Filed April 11, 1956 16 Sheets-Sheet l2 IIIIIIIA Nov. 16, 1937. A. H. SCHMIDTKE MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET Filed April 11, 1936 HANDLES OR THE LIKE l6 Sheets-Sheet 13 Nov. 16, 1937. A. H. SCHMIDTKE MACHINE FOR- MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE v Filed April 11, 1956 ,{W/ Z; V 4a f y z 7 4:7 7 2 3%; Z \W WM 7 n mg 2 m w Z W f I I I s\ u g f 2; W m zzz d/ z J Nov. 16, 1937. A. HSCHMIDTKE 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HANDLES OR 'THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1 936 16 Sheets-Sheetl5 NOV. 16, 1937. H, SCHMIDTKE 2,099,411

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WIRE BASKET HAIiDLES OR THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1936 16 Sheets-Sheet 16' Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING WERE BASKET HANDLES OR THE LIKE Application April 11, 1936, Serial No. 73,887

16 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for making and attaching wire basket handles or the like and has reference more particularly to facilities for forming such wire devices with angular attaching ends and for driving and clinching such 'ends.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide an improved machine for making and attaching wire basket handles or other similar devices with angular attaching ends; to simplify and facilitate the formation and attachment of such wire devices or handles and insure proper and satisfactory insertion of the angular attachr ing ends; to provide improved clinching facilities for individually accommodating variations in the thickness of the material through which the ends of the wire device are inserted; and in general to provide a machine which will form and attach wire handles and similar wire devices in a better and more satisfactory manner than heretoforethese and other objects being accomplished with the structure shown in the accompanying drawings in which,-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a basket showing a handle as made and applied to the basket with the present machine;

Fig. 2 is a front View of the machine for mak ing and attaching the handle of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the machine as it appears from the left side of Fig. 2; I

Fig. i is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the handle forming and attaching mechanism taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar horizontal sectional views taken substantially on the lines 5-5 of Figs. 3 and 4, Fig. 5 showing the wire cutting and handle forming slide in the retracted position and Fig. 6 showing said slide just after completion of its wire cutting and handle forming operation;

Fig. '7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the lines 'l'! of Figs. 3 and 4 showing the slide for bending the ends of the handle wire against the outer side of the basket rim, said slide being shown in this. figure in the fully retracted position;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view partly in horizontal section on the lines 88 of Figs. 3 and 4 and shows the mechanism for roclc'ng the anvils against which the wire ends are driven in the handle attaching operation;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional View on the lines 9 of Figs. 5 and 14, but showing th part feeding mechanism taken on in the position in which they appear in Fig. 5 rather than that of Fig. 14;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged front view of the handle driving mechanism showing the parts thereof in the positions they occupy just after the wire has been bent into the handle form;

Fig. 11 is a view of the handle driving mechanism looking at same from the rear and with portions broken away, said view being a vertical section taken substantially on the line lI-Il of Fig. 3 and showing the parts thereof in the positions they occupy after the wire. ends have been bent downwardly preparatory to driving through the basket rim;

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 showing the wire ends partly driven through the basket rim;

Fig. 13 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the lines l3l3 of Figs. 3 and 11;

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view on the line 14-44 of Fig. 3 at the location of followers which trail the looped end of the handle as it descends in the driving operation;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the line l5l5 of Fig. 7 and showing the parts thereof in the positions they occupy just after the wire has been bent in the handle form;

Figs. 16, 1'7 and 18 are views similar to Fig. 15, Fig. 16 showing the parts after the wire ends have been bent downwardly ready to be inserted through the basket rim, and Fig. 17 showing the parts when said ends are partly inserted through the basket rim and Fig. 18 showing the parts at completion of the handle attaching operation and some parts of Figs. 17 and 18 being shown on varied section lines to better disclose details of construction; 7

Fig. 19 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 19-19 of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is a' perspective view of one of the pivoted clinch blocks or anvils against which the wire ends are driven;

Fig. 21 is a sectional view of a clinch block carrier taken on the line 2l-2l of Fig. 16;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the wire end deflector which is mounted on the top of the anvil bracket;

Fig. 23 is an enlarged sectional view of the wire the line 23-23 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 24 is a front view of the wire gripping mechanism of the wire feed;

Fi 25 is a sectional view taken substantially 0, inclines 25-25 of Figs. 2 and 24.;

Fig. 26 is a perspective view of the notched wire guide which forms a part of the wire gripping mechanism; and

Fig. 27 is a perspective View of the brake shoe for frictionally resisting operation of the wire feed carriage.

Referring to the drawings which show an embodiment of my invention for forming wire handles and attaching them to baskets, it is to be understood that the basket to which the handles are attached may be of any desired type, that for which the illustrated machine is designed being of the round bushel basket type, as indicated by dotted lines at 3| in Fig. 3, which in accordance with the prevailing practice and as shown by the fragmentary portions thereof in Fig. 1 and elsewhere, has a side wall 32 of thin panels or strips which are secured at their upper ends between inner and outer hoops which constitute thebasket rim 33 to which basket handles are usually attached. The handles, one of which is indicated at 34 in Fig. l, are of the same general form as those heretofore used, being made of Wire which is bent to provide a middle portion 35 with a depending leg 36 at each end which extends downwardly along the outerside of the basket rim and terminates in an angular portion 31 which is engaged through the basket rim, the wire therebeyond being bent upwardly against the inner face of the rim as at 38, then over the top of the rim as at 39 and then downwardly against the outer face of the basket rim as at 40 to securely attach the handle to the basket rim.

The machine which is shown herein for making and attaching these handles feeds the wire 4! for the handles to cutting and forming mechanisms which cut off the proper length of wire for the handle and first form it in a bail shape, as shown in Fig.6, with the middle portion 35 and parallel legs 42, the outer ends of which said legs 42 are bent downwardly at 43 to provide attaching portions 44 which as shown in Fig. 16, are at right angles to the remaining handle legs 36, and these attaching portions 44 are thereafter punched through the basket rim 33 and bent therearound and become the parts 31, 38, 39 and 40 of the attached handle as shown in 'Fig. 1. This machine has a base 45 with an upwardly extending hollow standard 46 near the forward end, which-said standard at its lower end encloses a crank disk 4'! and a sprocket 48, both of which are fixed on a main shaft 49 which is journaled in a bearing 59 of the standard 46 and in a bearing 5| of the bracket 52 at the rear end of the base 45 and has a loose drive pulley 53 on the rear end for rotating the shaft 49 at the will of the operator through a clutch 54 which is controlled by the treadle 55. The clutch 54, which is of the one revolution type, is disengaged after each revolution of the shaft4 9 'by th'edetent 56 which is pivoted at 51 to an offset 58 of the bracket 52 so as to ride in the clutch groove 59 and this detent 56 is connected by the link 60 with the rear "end of the treadle 55 so that pressure on the tread plate fil at the forward end of the treadle 'lifts the detent 56 sufficiently to permit engagement of the clutch to'rotate the shaft 49 with the pulley 53. Upon release of the forward end of the treadle '55 the detent 56 returns to the 49, 'dis'engages the clutch. Details of the construction of this clutch arenot shown as such clutches are well known. A brake band 62 which cooperates'with a'brake drum 63 on'the shaft 49 is also controlled by the treadle 55 so as to assist in stopping the shaft 49 and the parts connected therewith promptly upon disengagement of the clutch.

An elongated former guide box 64 is secured to the top of the standard 46 by cap screws 65 engaged through side flanges 66 of the standard 46 and the rear end of this guide box is out out at 6! to accommodate a cam disk 68 which is fixed on the upper end of the cam shaft 69, said shaft 69 being journaled in the bearing brackets 19 and 'H on the rear of the standard 46, and operated simultaneously with and at the same speed as the drive shaft 49 through the bevel gears 12 and 73 on the shafts 49 and 69 respectively.

A top casting 14 covers the top of the former guide box 64 and the cam opening 61 thereof, said casting being secured to the former guide box 64 by the cap screws 15, and this casting l4 and the guide box 64 have aligning openings 16 and TI respectively therethrough and through the hubs l8 and 19 respectively thereof in which the handle driver shaft 89 is mounted to reciprocate, the lower end of said shaft being connected, within the standard 46 by the link with the crank pin 8| on the crank disk 47 so that said vertical shaft 89 is reciprocated by the drive shaft 49.

Mounted on the front of the standard 49 just below the forward end of the former guide box 64 is an anvil bracket 62 with clinch blocks or anvils 83 therein which support the portion of the basket rim 33 where the handle 34 is to be attached, and this bracket 82 has a front plate 84 secured thereto and provided with a curved nose 85 at the top for directing the basket rim onto the top of the anvil bracket 82. A plate 86 of semi-circular form, as shown in Fig. 2, is mounted at the front of the standard '46 below the anvil bracket 82 to provide an abutment for engagement by the basket rim in placing the basket in position, and this plate 86 has a pair of side lugs 87 secured thereto and provided with beveled outer faces 88 for engaging inside the basket rim and centering the basket. Said plate 86 also has a transverse rib 89 near the bottom with beveled top face 99 which is useful in locating the basket at the proper elevation so that the portion of the basket rim which is at the top will engage readily over the nose '85 and onto the anvil bracket 82 which has a stop 9| at each side against which the basket rim is engaged so as to insure proper positioning thereof for the attachment of the handle.

The basket handles are attached to the basket rim at diametrically opposite sides and after one handle has been attached, it is-necessar to give the basket a half turn-to present the diametrically proper positioning of the basket for attachment of the second handle at a place diametrically opposite the location of the first attached handle.

The former guide box 64 which is mounted directly on the top of the standard 49 has the top face recessed as indicated at 94 to provide a slideway with side walls or flanges 95 and 96 (the latter 'being'cored out at 91) for a combined handle former and wire cutter which is held in place therein by the top casting 14, the wire cutterbeing adapted to cooperate with a wire tube 98 secured on a boss 99 at the forward end of the side flange 95 to cut off alength of wire from the wire 4| which is fed through said tube 98. in front of the handle former I and said handle former being adapted to cooperate with a forming block or loop bar IIlI to bend the cut off length of wire into the bail shape indicated in Fig. 6.

The forming block or loop bar IIlI is secured by screws I02 (Fig. against the rear face of the V abutment or lug I03 which depends from the front end of the top casting I4 over the anvil bracket 82 and said forming block IOI has a downwardly opening groove or channel I04 in which the middle portion 35 of the handle wire is heldin the handle forming operation, the former 99 which is bifurcated at the forward end and straddles the vertical shaft 80 has spaced arms I05 with hardened inserts I06 at their forward ends which are projected across the ends of the groove or channel I04 to bend the projecting portions of the wire forwardly as at 42 in Fig. 6. The inserts I06 have wire grooves I 01 (Fig. 4) in their inner faces to accommodate the forwardly bent portions 42 of the wire, and the ends of the former arms I05 are notched at I08 (Fig. 4) to insurecentering of the wire in the plane of these grooves I01 at the time the bending occurs.

The wire cutter is located in the slideway 94 alongside the former I00 and comprises the knife bar I09 with the knife insert III) at the forward end to cooperate with the inner end of the tube 98 in cutting off the required length of wire, and this knife bar I09 is caused to operate with the former I00 through an adjustable connection at the rear end whereby the cutting operation can be accurately timed to properly precede the bending which occurs immediately after the length of wire is cut off. This adjustable connection comprises a strap III which is secured to the rear end of the former I00 and connected withthe rear end of the knife bar I09 by the push and pull screws I I2 and I I3 respectively, which are readily accessible from the rear open end of the former guide box 64 to adjust the knife bar I09 longitudinally with respect to the former I00 and thereby advance or retard the wire cutting relatively to the bending operation.

For operating the combined cutter I09 and former I00, said former I00 has on the under side near the rear end a pair of transverse ribs or flanges II4 which provide a guideway therebetween for a block I I5 which is secured to the cam .disk 68 by the pivot pin II6 so that as the cam disk 68 is rotated the combined former I00 and cutter I09 is reciprocated in the slideway 94, the block N5 of course sliding between the flanges I I4 to accommodate itself to the circular path of the pivot pin II6.

For feeding the wire 4| intermittently through the tube 98 as required for the basket handles, a wire feeding mechanism which is shown in' detail in Figs. 23 to 2'7 inclusive, is mounted at one side of the machine on a bracket I II which is secured to the side of the machine standard 49 at H8 and H9. This bracket has a horizontal rail I with a channel I 2| in the under side mounted thereon parallel with and below the path of movement of the wire 4|, and this rail I20 has an elongated carriage I22 slidably mounted thereon and held in place on the rail I20 by straps I23 and I24 whichproject upwardly in the path of the wire 4| and serve as guides therefor, the straps I23 having openings I25 at their upper ends through which the wire 4| passes and the strap I24 having a wire groove I26 at the top with a transverse notch I21 as shown particularly in Fig. 26. This carriage I22 is connected by a link I28 with a crank pin I29 on the disk I30 which rotates on a stem ItI which is secured by set screws I32 in a mounting hub I33 ofthe bracket III. A sprocket I34 is secured on the rear of the disk I30 and operated by the chain I35 from the sprocket 48 on the drive shaft 49, said sprockets 48 and I34 being of the same size so that the disk I35 and drive shaft 49 rotate in unison, and the carriage I22 by its link connection I28 with the disk I39 will accordingly be given a complete reciprocatory vmovement back and forth along the rail I29 each time the drive shaft 49 makes a complete revolution. To maintain the chain I35 at the proper tension to avoid inaccuracy of timing, a chain tightener is provided comprising an idler roll I36 mounted on a bar I37 which is secured to the web portion of the bracket II! by cap screws I38 engaged through slots I39 at the ends of the bar It? so that the roll I36 may be adjusted to eliminate any unnecessary slack in the chain I35.

The link I23 is not connected directly to the carriage I22 but to the lower end of a rocker arm I40 which is fixed on the rear end of a shaft |4I which is journaled in an elevated bearing I42 of the carriage I22. An arm I43 is fixed on the forward end of the shaft I4 I and has a gripper stud I44 engaged through an opening at the outer end and held in place by a set screw I45 in position for the lower end thereof to enter the notch I21 of I the wire guide I24 and grip the wire 4| in the wire groove I26, the end face of the stud I44 being serrated as at I46 for this purpose. Preferably the stud I44 is reversible with a serrated face I46 at each end and is threaded to accommodate a nut I4I for adjusting purposes and also to bear the wire gripping impact. The rocking movement of the arm I40 to which the carriage operating link I28 is attached is thus limited when pull is exerted on the arm I40 to move the carriage toward the machine and feed the wire, and for limiting the movement of the arm I49 in the reverse direction when the link I28 acts to push the carriage I22 outwardly away from the machine to take a new grip on the wire, a lug I48 is provided on the carriage I22 with a screw I49 engaged therethrough to provide an adjustable stop against which the lower end of the arm I40 engages in the outward movement of the carriage.

To insure a positive and effective gripping of the wire by the gripper stud I44 in the wire feeding movement of the carriage, it is desirable that the carriage be restrained against free and easy movement along the rail I29 and to this end the carriage I22 has a brake band I50 thereon in the channel I2I of the rail and provided with a facing |5| of brake material which is held in frictional contact with the rail by screws I52 which are engaged through the bottom flange of the carriage I22 and may be adjusted to provide the desired resistance to sliding movement of the carriage I22 along the rail I20.

The Wire 4| is supplied to the wire feeding mechanism from any suitable source (not shown) through two sets I53 and I54 of straightening rolls which are mounted at the outer end of the bracket I I1 and offer suflicient resistance to retrograde movement of the wire so that no special wire holding devices are required to prevent movement thereof with the carriage when the latter is retracted, it being understood that the guide openings l25 through the straps I 23 are such that the straps slide readily along the wire at that time and that, on account of the frictionalresistance of the brake I58-I5I to the movement of the carriage, release of the gripping member I44 from the wire is assured before retracting movement is imparted to the carriage and as the strap I29 is then free to move along the wire iI there is no backing up tendency imparted to the wire.

The amount of wire fed forward at each wire advancing operation of the carriage E22 depends upon the length of stroke imparted to the carriage by the crank disk I39 and link I28, and in order that the length of stroke and amount of wire fed may be regulated the crank pin I29 is radially adjustable on the disk I353. To this end the crank pin I29 is formed with a square nut like enlargement I55 which fits in a radial recess H58 in the face of the disk I39 and has a threaded stem i551 extending through a radial slot 558 in the disk I39 with a nut I59 thereon for clamping the crank pin I29 in any desired position of its radial adjustment.

After each length of wire has been out off and formed into a handle, the wire feeding mechanism advances the wire a sufficient distance to provide another piece of wire of proper length for the next handle and it is of course necessary to insure that the leading end of the wire is inserted through the groove or channel 589 of the handle forming block I9I. A wire guide is accordingly provided between the inner end of the wire feed tube 98 and the handle forming block lllI which said guide comprises a stationary top block i769 which is secured by the cap screw ifil to the un der side of the top casting 19 and a plunger i912 which issecured in a notch I 93 in the forward end of the former guide box (it by the plate 64, which has a ledge I65 which projects into the notch I 83 and supports a pair of springs I66 which are seated at their upper ends in the plunger 82 and resiliently hold the latter in an elevated position against the top block I98. This plunger has a wire groove H51 extendingacross the top thereof which in the elevated position of the plunger S82 is closed by the top block I69 and is in line with the wire opening of the wire feed tube 98 in proper position to direct the wire into the wire groove or channel I89 of the handle forming block I95 and at the proper elevation therein for engagement by the handle forming slide its, and to facilitate entry of the end of the wire 4! into the grooves 91 and I84 the entrance ends of these grooves are beveled or flare slightly as at 588 and IE9 respectively.

The knife bar 599 which is projected forwardly past the wire guide we, I62 in the wire cutting and handle forming operation is cut away at I19 to clear the top block liiil while the guide block I82 is adapted to be displaced from the path of the wire cutter at the time, said guide I62 being provided for this purpose with a beveled face I1I which, in the forward movement of the knife bar, is engaged by a beveled face 12 on the forward end of the knife bar so that the guide block i822 is thereby depressed against the tension of the springs I89 which, as soon as the cutter N39 is retracted, return the guide block to the upraised position against the top block it. a

The feed tube 98 and also the guide block I62, which remains in the elevated position until notch or seat I15 (Fig. 3) at the forward end of the former guide box 64. A plate I16 which is secured over the block I 13 by a cap screw I11 engaged through the slot I18 of the top casting 14 provides a space I19 therebetween for the end of the wire which is guided thereto by the inclined faces I88 and I8I of the block I13 and plate I16, respectively, and this space 'I19 is open at the front of the machine so that the end of the wire in said space, like the cutoff end of said wire at the other side of the forming block I BI, is free to swing forwardly in the forming operation to the "tion of the basket rim on the anvil bracket 82 and to accommodate these mechanisms the top casting 14 has an upwardly extending mounting plate I82 at the front with side flanges I83 to which a face plate I84 is secured by screws I85 to provide a housing for the mechanisms which form and drive the wire'ends 44, and it is to be noted that the face plate I84 has a depending lug portion I86 corresponding to and spaced from the depending'lug I83 of the top casting'14,

The outer face of the mounting plate I82 has a vertical slideway-I81 between the side flanges I83 for a two part driver comprisingthe spaced driver legs I88, which are secured at their upper ends by screws I89 to a transverse flange I99 at the front end of the top arm I9I which-is secured to the upper end of the shaft 89 by set screws I92. A pair of wire supporting fingers'I 93 are separately pivoted in the recess E81 of the mounting plate I82 on the projecting ends of stems I94 which extend inwardly through the top casting 14 and are secured in place by set screws I95 and these fingers I93 are thus disposedin the plane of and between the lower ends of the driver legs I88.

A former or bending slide I96 of a width somewhat greater than that of the depending lugs I 83 and 599 of the top casting 14 and face plate I84 respectively is located in front of the fingers I93 and the driver legs H38 and is keyed to the face plate I 84 to slide vertically, a key 7 I91 being secured by rivets I98 in a key seat I99 in the front face of said former or slide 95 and engaged in a vertical key way 280 in the rear face of the face plate I84. The former or'slide I96 is secured to the inturned lower end of a rod 29I which extends loosely through a lug 282 on the top arm I9I and has a spring 283 thereon interposed between the lug 292 and a collar 284 on the rod 28I to provide a compressible connection whereby'the bending slide I99 is resiliently propelled downwardly by theitop arm I9 I ,the rod being retained in engagement with the lug 202 by a nut 285 on the upper end of the rod. A notch 286 is provided in the face plate I84 to accommodate the lower end of the rod 20I and collar 294 in the downward movement thereof with the slide I96. A positive driving connection is also provided for the slide I96, which said connectionis adapted to be released at a certain point in the downward movement of the slide, and for this purpose each driver leg I83 has a latch member 281 pivoted in front thereof and 

